Romeo Montes

Nestled in Southern Luzon, the tranquil town of Paete has gained acclaim for its intricately carved wooden sculptures, shaped with precision by chisels, inspiring its name “paet” or chisel. These sculptures play a dual role as molds for vibrant paper mache creations, depicting an array of animals and folk figures adorned in traditional attire. Paete is further celebrated for its bountiful summer harvest of the indigenous fruit, “lanzones.” Within Paete’s artistic community, several names stand out prominently in the realm of Philippine contemporary art. Among the emerging talents is Romeo Montes, who, once an assistant in a sculpture studio, has ventured into the realm of painting with promising outcomes. Montes’ canvases beautifully capture the essence of Paete as the archetypal Philippine hometown, featuring compelling still lifes of “paet,” images of a typical noonday meal, and vibrant depictions of the national flower, the sampaguita. His interpretation of the Mother and Child theme, titled “Inay” and “Bagong Silang”, reflects both the joy and, candidly speaking, the weariness of motherhood.